


Wash of Gold

by fromward (from)



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: M/M, Season/Series 01-02 Hiatus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-06-02
Updated: 2009-06-02
Packaged: 2017-10-08 13:02:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/75905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/from/pseuds/fromward
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin's eyes twinkle and Arthur forgets for a moment that beyond the oak copse their enemies are readying for an assault.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wash of Gold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> Acknowledgements: Thanks to Signe for the beta and to Beet for the prompt.

Merlin’s eyes twinkle and Arthur forgets for a moment that beyond the oak copse their enemies are readying for an assault.

‘What?’ He scowls. His shoulder took months to recover from the questing beast and he’s been appalling on the training ground. He’s worried he can no longer trust his swordplay or his focus, and Merlin’s lack of regard for their current situation is scarcely helping.

‘Nothing. I’m just…glad to be here,’ Merlin says, fiddling with the straps of his kite shield, and watching and not watching Arthur at the same time.

Arthur takes another look at the crag looming behind them. It’s a fine trap they’ve walked into, and if he doesn’t get his head round it, they might as well use the moments they have left to say goodbye. ‘I didn’t think you were so fond of facing death, Merlin.’

Merlin crouches beside him along the scree. ‘Yeah. No,’ he shrugs, and Arthur isn’t at all sure what he means by that.

Arthur realises he’s lost concentration again when he becomes aware of what he’s looking at. To study Merlin’s face before fighting for both their lives is foolish. He’s beginning to suspect he should leave Merlin behind in Camelot whenever he needs to be at his best. It would probably make his knights happier.

‘But we’re doing it together,’ Merlin says. ‘At least we have another chance at that.’

‘At what? Facing death?’ Arthur snorts and regrets it immediately because Merlin looks like he’s just been dealt a grievous blow.

‘After what happened when the questing beast wounded you, it’s a pleasant surprise, that’s all,’ Merlin finally says, his tone light though Arthur knows he’s not entirely recovered.

The whole of Camelot thinks Arthur is as unfeeling as the castle’s thick curtain wall. And maybe he’s had his moments, but they don’t define who he is, or who he can be.

‘Merlin.’

‘At the time, I thought—’

Merlin falls silent when Arthur lays a hand on his cheek. ‘We’ve only just begun,’ Arthur tells him. It’s not exactly a gentle touch, and maybe he’s given too much away, but there’s still the task of surviving past today.

He moves along the rocks to study the ridge he noticed on the far side of the colossal crag. Dangerous, but a lifeline nonetheless.

‘That ridge up there. The two of us might just be able to reach it,’ he tells Merlin in a low voice, ‘and that’s probably our best bet out of this mess.’

‘Arthur.’

‘Merlin, haven’t I told you that _I_ decide when we need to talk,’ he says, throwing a look over his shoulder. He catches a smile on Merlin’s face before he has to focus on their options again, note everything he can’t afford to miss.

The steep route up the crag is littered with gorse bushes, the vibrant yellow of their flowers suspended above thorns that promise to bury deep under their skin.

‘Yeah, but if you’re thinking of using that ridge, I need to show you something first.’

‘Go on.’ He’ll have to give Merlin his gloves. He doesn’t know if Merlin can manage the climb otherwise.

‘All right,’ Merlin says, and something in Merlin’s voice makes Arthur stop and turn.

‘We’d be better off without the gorse,’ Merlin says, the twinkle in his eyes blossoming into a matching wash of gold.

  


~


End file.
